Clinical Psychologist

Hertfordshire Partnership University Nhs Foundation Trust; Waterford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is inviting applications for a Band 8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist within the CYPMHS South team. The post offers development towards senior clinical leadership, with responsibilities across two sites: Watford and Borehamwood.

The role requires HCPC registration and involves providing specialist psychological services, outcome monitoring, and evidence-based practice within CAPA and CYP-IAPT frameworks.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration required and up to date.
• Post-qualification experience in CAMHS preferred.
• Experience in CAPA and CYP-IAPT frameworks beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan and implement care for children and young people with complex mental health needs.
• Undertake risk assessment and management for CYP.
• Act as care coordinator within a multidisciplinary team.
• Contribute to clinical governance and service development.
• Keep up-to-date with national/local policies affecting CAMHS.

Skills

Clinical psychology

CAPA/CYP-IAPT

Team working

Research & evaluation

Education

HCPC registration

Job description

Job summary

Band 8a - Clinical / Counselling Psychologist (CYPMHS South)

This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified professional to join HPFT CYPMHS South team. The post is designed for a psychologist who is ready to consolidate specialist skills while developing into a senior clinician.

The service operates across two main sites, and the post holder will be expected to work from both locations in line with clinical need, team arrangements and service priorities: Watford Peace Children's Centre, Peace Prospect, Watford, WD17 3EW, and Borehamwood Civic Offices, Ground Floor, NHS Building, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, WD6 9SP. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary professionals and supporting collaborative, multi-agency working.

The post holder will hold HCPC registration and will provide a highly specialist psychological service and delivery of evidence-based service and routine outcome measures monitoring are robust, timely and aligned to the service’s agreed pathways under principles of CAPA model of approach and CYP-IAPT, inclusive of both generic and specific work.

CYPMHS South sits within a wider countywide CYPMHS system of other teams of HPFT, offering strong professional links and peer support across community and specialist teams aligned to Hertfordshire’s geographical quadrants. This post is offered as a development role.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for a caseload of complex assessment, treatment and consultation work with children, adolescents and their families, with problems of behavioral, emotional, psychological or mental health issues, providing Core work (as defined by CAPA) and in addition contributing to Specific/Specialist work (as defined by CAPA) as agreed with Community CYPMHS Managers and Professional leads.

To operate as a member of the multidisciplinary team providing child and adolescent mental health services for the quadrant, in line with the principles and practice of CYP-IAPT.

To work in ways which are sensitive to and appropriate for the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds.

About us

Hertfordshire NHS Partnership Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Details

Date posted: 17 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £59,798 to £67,020 a year per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS)

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number: 367-CYP-101730-C

Job locations: Peace Children's Centre, Peace Prospect, Watford, WD17 3EW

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibility

• To assess, plan and implement programmes of care for individual children and young people, carers and families with complex behavioural, emotional, psychological or mental health issues.
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for all children and adolescents, including the protective and risk factors in the network of significant relationships.
• To be responsible for a defined caseload selecting and using appropriate interventions to meet care plan objectives and goals privileging core skills as appropriate.
• To develop, implement and manage specialised interventions within the child/young persons context, employing evidence based practice.
• To evaluate and adjust practices based on feedback.
• To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, ensuring provision of a care plan, taking responsibility for initiating, planning and review of the clients care, ensuring the work of others involved and communicating effectively with the child/ the carer/ professional as appropriate, monitoring the progress of multi-disciplinary interventions.
• To carry out assessments and interventions jointly with co-workers from the multi-disciplinary team as appropriate.
• To contribute and develop skills in Clinical Governance.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health
• Relevant training and professional registration as per person spec
• Post -doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice including CBT
• Post registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
• Specialist training in an appropriate area and knowledge of CAPA and CYP-IAPT
• Experience in neuropsychological assessment training in supervision of clinical/counselling psychologists

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children/adolescents with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. This would usually include at least 2 years post qualification experience, or other evidenced experience.
• Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training within Child and Adolescent Mental Health, through a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counseling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an agreed alternative
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• Abilities to provide consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Good general knowledge of the literature and research concerning mental health interventions with children, particularly the clinical effectiveness of such interventions
• Knowledge of Child Protection Procedures
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to use multi -media materials for formal presentations to large groups
• Experience of working within a multi -cultural framework
• Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc
• Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/ or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Ability to work therapeutically with young people and their families
• Ability to work as a fully participating member of a multi-disciplinary team and the ability to respect and value other members contributions
• Positive problem solving approach

Physical Skills

Essential

• Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)
• IT skills; include use of Microsoft Office and Outlook

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).